Conservation gap analysis results

Clicking the objects at the bottom of the figures will turn on and off elements on the figure.

figure caption text : Conservation scores per US native CWR (black circles), grouped by conservation assessment type—combined FCSc-mean, FCS ex situ, and FCS in situ — with the average score across taxa displayed as red circles. FCS scores are used to categorize taxa for further conservation action: UP (FCS <25), HP (25 ≤ FCS < 50), MP (50 ≤ FCS < 75), and LP (FCS ≥75).




Conservation gap analysis results table




Map of predicted taxon richness


Predicted taxonomic richness map for assessed taxa, combining 22 potential distribution models. Darker colors indicate greater numbers of taxa potentially overlapping in the same (∼5 km2) areas.




Geographic ex situ gap richness

Predicted collecting priority hotspots map to resolve geographic gaps in current ex situ conservation. The map displays richness of geographic areas within the potential distributions of the assessed taxa that have not been previously collected for ex situ conservation (i.e. that areas not within 50 km of an existing germplasm collection location). Darker colors indicate greater numbers of taxa potentially overlapping in the same (ca. 5 km2) areas.




add fig S6 from 2020 PNAS

figure caption : Predicted collecting priority hotspots map to resolve ecological gaps in current ex situ conservation. The map displays richness of ecoregions within the potential distributions of the assessed U.S. wild relatives and wild food plants that have not been previously collected for ex situ conservation, with up to X taxa in need of further collecting potentially found in the same areas. Darker colors indicate greater numbers of taxa potentially overlapping in the same (ca. 5 km2) areas.




Geographic in situ gap richness

Predicted habitat protection priorities map to resolve geographic gaps in current in situ conservation. The map displays richness of geographic areas within the potential distributions of the assessed taxa that are outside of current protected areas. Darker colors indicate greater numbers of taxa potentially overlapping in the same (ca. 5 km2) areas.




Protected areas table

This table lists all protected areas overlapping with the predicted distributions of four or more taxa. The total number of taxa potentially present in the protected area is shown in a column. A full list of protected areas can be found at (add a link once we have a location for hosting the data)




add fig S8 from 2020 PNAS paper

figure caption : Predicted habitat protection priorities map to resolve ecological gaps in current in situ conservation. The map displays richness of ecoregions within the potential distributions of the assessed U.S. wild relatives and wild food plants that are not represented at all within current protected areas within those potential distributions, with up to 33 taxa inhabiting the same unprotected lands. Darker colors indicate greater numbers of taxa potentially overlapping in the same (ca. 5 km2) areas.




Note: Score values of zero will not appear on the chart.

Definitions of conservation gap analysis scores

Sampling Representativeness Score (SRS)

Exsitu : The Sampling Representativeness Score ex situ (SRS ex) calculates the ratio of germplasm accessions (G) available in ex situ repositories to reference (H) records for each taxon, making use of all compiled records irrespective of whether they include coordinates.

Insitu : The Sampling Representativeness Score in situ (SRS in) calculates the proportion of all occurrences of a taxon within its native range that fall within a protected area.

Geographic Representativeness Score (GRS)

Exsitu : The Geographic Representativeness Score ex situ (GRS ex situ) uses 50-km-radius buffers created around each G collection coordinate point to estimate geographic areas already well collected within the potential distribution models of each taxon and then calculates the proportion of the potential distribution model covered by these buffers.

Insitu : The Geographic Representativeness Score in situ (GRS in situ) compares the area (in km2) of the potential distribution model located within protected areas versus the total area of the model.

Ecological Representativeness Score (ERS)

Exsitu : The Ecological Representativeness Score ex situ (ERS ex situ) calculates the proportion of terrestrial ecoregions (25) represented within the G buffered areas out of the total number of ecoregions occupied by the potential distribution model.

Insitu : The Ecological Representativeness Score in situ (ERS in situ) calculates the proportion of ecoregions encompassed within the range of the taxon located inside protected areas to the ecoregions encompassed within the total area of the potential distribution model.

Final Conservation Score (FCS)

Ex situ : The Final Conservation Score ex situ (FCS ex situ) was derived by calculating the average of the three ex situ conservation metrics.

In situ : The Final Conservation Score in situ (FCS in situ) in was derived by calculating the average of the three in situ conservation metrics.

FCSc-mean : The Combined Final Conservation Score (FCSc-mean) was calculated for each taxon by averaging its final FCS ex situ and FCS in situ scores. Taxa were then categorized with regard to the two conservation strategies as well as in combination, with Urgent Priority (UP) for further conservation action assigned when FCS <25, High Priority (HP) assigned when 25 ≤ FCS < 50, Medium Priority (MP) when 50 ≤ FCS < 75, and Low Priority (LP) when FCS ≥75.

Definitions of occurrence data categories

Occurrences : The total number of records for the taxon that were evaluated for use within the study.

Occurrences with lat/long: The total number of records that had a valid latitude and longitude pair and were used for spatial analysis. Non valid latitude longitude pairs included but were not limited to: points not on land masses, and records with only one of the two values present.

Germplasm Records (G) : Occurrences in which a living sample (via plant or seed) is present in an ex situ conservation system (i.e., botanical garden, seed bank, genebank, etc.).

Reference Records (H) : Occurrences that have a supporting herbarium or other reference record.

Unique Data Sources: The number of unique database sources from which occurrences of the taxon were gathered.